Study finds many drivers could go electric for most trips

Fewer than 1 percent of personally owned cars in the U.S. are plug-in vehicles fueled solely by electricity, but a new survey has found about 40 percent of drivers could go electric based on their current driving habits.

The survey and analysis of the results found 45 million households in the U.S. meet the basic criteria for driving an electric vehicle based on how far they drive, charging availability at their home and their normal hauling needs.

“Today’s (electric vehicles) can be practical for many car buyers,” said Shannon Baker-Branstetter, policy counsel for Consumers Union, which partnered with the Union of Concerned Scientists for the report. “It demonstrates that these vehicles could be a viable option for tens of millions of American households that want lower fuel costs and cleaner air without compromising their driving needs.”

Nissan displays its new autonomous vehicle at the preview of the Ceatec electronics trade show in Chiba, suburban Tokyo on Sept. 30. AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images

Nearly 70 percent of U.S. drivers travel fewer than 60 miles per day, well within the range of all-electric vehicles on the market today, researchers found. Ninety-five percent of cars and trucks carry four or fewer people on an average day, and 79 percent of drivers have limited hauling needs, based on the survey of 1,004 people conducted in September.

“There is a huge potential to continue expanding the market for electric vehicles, a key solution for tackling climate change and cutting our nation’s projected oil use in half over the next 20 years,” said David Reichmuth, senior engineer for the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Americans recognize that we need to reduce our oil use, and electric vehicles offer a great opportunity for drivers to do just that.”

If everyone who could switch to an all-electric car did so, officials estimated it would save 15 billion gallons of gasoline per year, lead to $33 billion less spent fueling cars and avoid releasing 90 metric tons of greenhouse gases annually.

Drivers have been slow to pull the plug on their gas-guzzling cars, in part because of better fuel economy but mainly because of anxiety regarding car range, cost and available infrastructure. Although the survey indicates electric cars would meet many drivers’ needs most of the time, motorists might prefer to hang on to the ability to exceed the vehicles’ range when they wish to do so.